Music: {allcanada} CANADIAN TENNIS STAR RAONIC NAMED TO DAVIS CUP TEAM

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

{allcanada} CANADIAN TENNIS STAR RAONIC NAMED TO DAVIS CUP TEAM

MONTREAL -- Despite having to withdraw from his second-round match at Wimbledon, rising star Milos Raonic has been named to the Canadian roster for next month's Davis Cup tie against Ecuador.

The 20-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., pulled out of the Grand Slam event last week when he fell awkwardly while trying to retrieve a ball from Luxembourg's Gilles Muller. Raonic said he strained ligaments around his hip.

Philip Bester of Vancouver, Toronto's Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., were also named to the team by Tennis Canada on Tuesday. Canada will play Ecuador on outdoor clay courts at the Guayaquil Tennis Club from July 8-10 in the Americas Zone Group I second-round tie.

"I'm really excited about playing this tie in Ecuador," captain Martin Laurendeau said in a release. "Our goal is to reach the World Group this year. We believe that we can win even though we will once again have to do it on the road in difficult playing conditions.

"I have confidence in my team and their desire and commitment to reach our goal."

This was Raonic's fifth nomination to the Canadian team. He was the catalyst in Canada's victory over Mexico in March, winning both of his singles matches and his doubles match. He has rocketed from No. 156 to No. 25 in the ATP world rankings in just six months.

Pospisil, meanwhile, holds the No. 212 position in the latest rankings, 32 positions ahead of Bester.

Nestor, who made his Davis Cup debut in 1992, is ranked fourth in the world in doubles. He teamed with Max Mirnyi of Belarus to win the French Open doubles title earlier this year.

Ecuador holds a 5-1 all-time record against Canada and won 3-2 in their last meeting in 2009 in Toronto. The winner of next month's tie will play for a spot in the World Group in September in a playoff tie.